Drainage fitting for collapsible container



March 19, 1963 w. R. scHoLLE 3,081,911

DRAINAGE FITTING FOR COLLAPSIBLE CONTAINER Filed Sept. 29. 1960 wl/Hs" l lill amm INVENTOR. WlLuAM R. ScHouP United States Patent O 3,081,911 DRAINAGE FHTING FOR COLLAPSIBLE CONTAINER William R. Seholle, Newport Beach, Calif., assignor, by

mesne assignments, to Scholle Container Corporation,

Long Beach, Calif., a corporation of Illinois Filed Sept. 29, 1960, Ser. No. 59,246 2 Claims. (Cl. 222-107) This invention relates to dispensing devices for flexible, collapsible receptacles or containers composed of plastic film material which are adapted for packaging and dispensing of edible liquids such as milk, or liquid chemicals such as battery acid, etc.

Such flexible containers, which are often of the envelope type, are conventionally provided with an apertured area adjacent one end or edge, to which is fused the annular flange of a spout or nozzle through which the flexible receptacle is filled and the contents dispensed. These nozzles are further conventionally formed with, for example, an external thread or bead or bayonet by means of which a closure cap or dispensing hose or fitting can be engaged.

For shipping and handling purposes, these flexible containers are further conventionally encased in a relatively rigid paperboard outer container, the outer container being Y formed with flaps or scored areas through which the aforesaid nozzle may be projected for dispensing purposes, and dispensing is generally conducted with the outer container disposed in a manner whereby the spout is lowermost for the obvious purpose of maximum drainage of the contents.

The object of maximum drainage is, however, often defeated in that during collapse of the plastic bag a surface area thereof may prematurely descend into overlying and sealing engagement with the apertured area, with resultant entrapment and economic waste of a portion of the liquid contents.

It is therefore the object of the present invention to provide means for preventing oversealing of the liner bag aperture whereby more complete drainage and consequent economy is obtained.

'I'his I accomplish by means of a fitting adapted to be secured to the spout or nozzle of the liner bag which includes spaced lingers or groups which prevent an opposed bag surface from coming into sealing relationship with the bag opening, and thus serves to maintain a free drainage path.

Other objects and advantages, together with the details of construction and arrangement of parts, will be apparent from the following specification and accompanying drawing, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional view of a container in dispensing position embodying the device of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the fitting of the present invention with an elongated dispensing tube engaged thereto.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of a iiexible collapsible liner bag with a nozzle or spout secured to an apertured area of the bag prior to engagement thereto of the characterizing fitting of the present invention.

Referring to the drawings, the reference numeral indicates a flexible, collapsible container or liner bag composed of plastic sheet material, such as polyethylene, which may be of the envelope type, that is the bag may be formed of tubular stock, the tube being transversely cut and fused at opposed ends as at 11 and 12 to form a closure. One layer of this bag is formed with an aperture 13, preferably adjacent one of its defining edges, and a nozzle or spout 14 is disposed in embracing relationship to the aperture 13 and fused to the bag surface by means of its integral annular flange 15.

As indicated in FIG. 3, the spout 14 is provided with ICC external threads 16, or in the alternative with beads or bayonets, for subsequent engagement thereover of a closure cap not shown. Normally, this liner bag after being filled is disposed within a protective or reinforcing relatively rigid outer container, generally indicated as 17, which is suitably formed of corrugated paperboard.

This container 17 is suitably provided with marked or scored fiap portions which may be elevated or severed to provide an opening as at 18 through which the spout 14 may be projected for the purpose of dispensing liquid contents 19 from the liner bag. The dispensing position can be as shown in FIG. 1 with the spout 14 opening downwardly, or dispensing may be accomplished by laying the carton on one of its long sides with the spout 14 lowermost and projecting horizontally, i.e., with the container lying on its right side as shown in FIG. l. Even though the liner bag 1t? may be partially or spot adhered or otherwise partly secured to the outer container body 17, as the contents 19 are dispensed the liner bag 10* collapses and very often a surface layer portion of the liner bag 1i) comes into overlying and sealing engagement with the aperture 13 so as to prevent complete dispensing of all of the contents which, as previously indicated, often may be considerable and in any event is always an economic loss.

In order to prevent such sealing of the opening 13 I provide a fitting such as is generally indicated at 2i) having a collar portion whichis internally threaded or the like at 21 complementary to the means 16 on and thereby adapted to embrace the nozzle 14 and to be secured thereto after the normal closure cap has been removed. This fitting Ztl has a portion which telescopes within the nozzle 14, such as inwardly projecting return bent portion 22v from which there inwardly projects a plurality of axially extending spaced fingers or prongs 23, leaving radial openings between them. These lingers or prongs 23 are of a length such that they extend beyond the layer of the plastic bag 10 to which the nozzle 14 is secured so that, as is illustrated clearly in FIG. l, the possibility of a liner bag portion 24 coming into overlying or sealing engagement with the aperture 13 is prevented. Thus, residual liquid contents are permitted to flow out of the liner bag 10 and through the nozzle 14 without impairment.

The particular fitting 20 as illustrated comprises an externally axially projecting tubular portion 25 to which there may be engaged an elongated dispensing tube 26. However, it will be understood that the present invention is not limited to such adaptation. It will also be understood by those skilled in the art that modifications may be made in my invention without departing from the scope thereof as comprehended by the' following claims.

I claim:

1. A dispenser fitting for separable engagement with an externally threaded rigid annular spout carried by and embracing an apertured area in a wall of a collapsible receptacle composed of plastic sheet material and for insuring complete drainage of liquid material contained in said receptacle, said fitting comprising a cap including an internally threaded cylindrical collar portion for engagement about said nozzle, an annular cap head portion, an axial integral tube extending outwardly from said cap head and embracing the annulus thereof, and a plurality of spaced fingers disposed parallel to said tube and extending about the annulus of said cap in a direction inwardly thereof, said fingers being of a length to project into and beyond said spout and into the confines of said receptacle whereby to provide a free fiuid passage therefrom through said spout and said fitting.

2. The combination with a collapsible receptacle composed of plastic sheet material including an externally threaded rigid annular spout carried by and embracing an apertured area in a wall thereof of a dispenser fitting for separable engagement therewith and for insuring complete drainage of liquid material contained in said receptacle, said fitting comprising a cap including an internally threaded cylindrical collar portion for engagement about said nozzle, an annular cap head portion, an axial integral tube extending outwardly from said cap head and ernbracing the annulus thereof, and a plurality of spaced l Y to provide a free fluid passage therefrom through said spout and said tting.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,674,515 Johnson lune 19, 1928 2,313,031 Parkhurst Mar. 2, 1943 2,744,662 Srnith et al. May 8, 1956 2,879,785 Vesterdal Mar. 3l, 1959 2,890,652 Jauch et al. June 16, 1959 

1. A DISPENSER FITTING FOR SEPARABLE ENGAGEMENT WITH AN EXTERNALLY THREADED RIGID ANNULAR SPOUT CARRIED BY AND EMBRACING AN APERTURED AREA IN A WALL OF A COLLAPSIBLE RECEPTACLE COMPOSED OF PLASTIC SHEET MATERIAL AND FOR INSURING COMPLETE DRAINAGE OF LIQUID MATERIAL CONTAINED IN SAID RECEPTACLE, SAID FITTING COMPRISING A CAP INCLUDING AN INTERNALLY THREADED CYLINDRICAL COLLAR PORTION FOR ENGAGEMENT ABOUT SAID NOZZLE, AN ANNULAR CAP HEAD PORTION, AN AXIAL INTEGRAL TUBE EXTENDING OUTWARDLY FROM SAID CAP HEAD AND EMBRACING THE ANNULUS THEREOF, AND A PLURALITY OF SPACED FINGERS DISPOSED PARALLEL TO SAID TUBE AND EXTENDING ABOUT THE ANNULUS OF SAID CAP IN A DIRECTION INWARDLY THEREOF, SAID FINGERS BEING OF A LENGTH TO PROJECT INTO AND BEYOND SAID SPOUT AND INTO THE CONFINES OF SAID RECEPTACLE WHEREBY TO PROVIDE A FREE FLUID PASSAGE THEREFROM THROUGH SAID SPOUT AND SAID FITTING. 